Bellagio Robbed for $1.5 Million... in Chips

Ok, so maybe this is not so much about poker, but the thing took place at the Bellagio and the guy took $1.5 million in chips, so we have to tell you about it. It was 3:50am Vegas time when a man with a motorcycle helmet came into Bellagio, went straight for the Craps table, took out his gun, told everyone at the table to move and took casino chips worth around $1.5 million. He then ran out of the room and left the crime scene on a sport bike.

A very similar robbery took place last week at the Suncoast Casino poker room cashier, which makes the police believe that it might have been the same guy who robbed both casinos. However, it is believed that the first incident may have been just a rehearsal, as the robber took only $20,000 in chips, which is nothing compared to the $1.5 million he stole last night.

Still, both robberies look rather strange as the guy in the helmet took casino chips instead of money. “Casino chips are not like cash - at some point they must be redeemed,” MGM spokeswoman Yvette Monet told Reuters news agency. This, of course, made poker forums (twoplustwo) remember Ocean's 11 and the way Brad Pitt and the gang cashed their stolen chips by using lots and lots of strippers. However, this way is also used in real life by casino gamblers and card counters, so it is likely that the robber would employ strippers and hookers to cash his chips in small amounts. Another probability, as suggested by one of the twoplustwoers – selling the chips on eBay.

Whatever was the reason that made the guy to steal casino chips instead of money, he got away with it, at least for now. The police don't have many clues on who he might bee except that he's likely a white male, wearing all black clothes and gloves, a motorcycle helmet and riding a new black bike.

P.S. This was already a 10th Las Vegas casino robbery this year.

And here's a video footage of the robber made by Ballagio surveillance cameras: